Well it is the last day of 2015 and I truly hope that everyone has had a wonderful 2015! It would only be true TK style to end this year with my New Years Eve thrift score from my spot VV Boutique lol Value Village. One thing I can say throughout my thrifting experience is that I don't just buy pieces that I need or am looking for at the particular time, but I grab pieces that I believe will be utilized sometime throughout the year.

I found this long dress/top months ago during one of my 50% off shopping days. I wasn't sure where I was going to wear it or how I would wear it, but knew an event would come up. If all else failed there would be a wedding to go to. I purchased it for $7.99 with 50% off. I decided that I would pair it with a sequenced mini that I found at VV Boutique a week before the party for a real steal of $4.99 with 30%off.

My shoes purse and accessories were purchased brand new. But often times you can also find brand-new items with original tags on them. I'm looking forward to more thrift finds in 2016 and hope that I have been able to inspire you to give thrifting a chance. Stay tuned for special editions of Thrifted Thursdays in 2016.Happy New Year!XO TK

2016 is just a few days away, and if you are like us you are planning and prepping for the celebrations. For our family, New Years is bigger than Christmas as we go all out. Each year, we host 50 plus people on New Years Day to celebrate and reflect on how fortunate we are to see another year. We can't wait to see familiar faces and our preparations are well under way.

This year we decided to make a fabulous centrepiece for the dessert table as well as some props for our guests to take pictures with. They were super easy to do and came out FANTASTIC!

Ring in the New Year Centrepiece

Supplies

Wine bottles (4)

Gold Spray Paint

Wooden Numbers (each number of the 4-digit year; can also use cardboard box and number stencils)

Gold glitter

Craft Knife ( if making numbers with cardboard)

Newspaper

Kitchen gloves

Hot glue gun

Directions1. Clean wine bottles. Remove any labels on outside by soaking in water and peeling off saturated label. Dry bottle throughly.

2. Put on kitchen gloves. Line surface with newspaper and place bottles on newspaper. Spray bottles until completely coloured. It is recommended that this step be done outdoors or in a garage with ventilation as the spray paint has a strong door. Leave for a few hours. Apply a second coat if needed and set to dry.

​3. Coat numbers with spray paint as well. If you are using the cardboard method, print a number stencil with the year and cut out each number. Take number and paste to cardboard. Use craft knife and etch around number. Take number and spray paint.

4. While paint is still wet, pour sparkles over face of number. Make sure that it is completely covered. Leave to dry for a few hours. Once dry shake off excess sparkles.

​5. Once bottles and numbers are dry, take number and apply glue to the back. Place number on front of bottle before glue cools.

6. Continue to do that for each bottle, until they all have numbers.

If you are interested in some fun pictures, try creating some fun photo props for your selfies.

Selfie Props

Supplies

NYE prop template (Pinterest has some awesome ones)

Gold glitter

Glue

Bristol board or felt

Kabob skewers

Pen or pencil

Scissors

Directions

1. Print template and cut out each prop.

2. Place prop on bristol board and trace around it. Cut out image from bristol board.

3. Design prop with glitter. Set aside to dry.

4. Once dry, take skewer and attach to back of each prop with clear masking tape or hot glue.

We absolutely loved the finished products and they were really easy to do and budget-friendly. All of the supplies were bought at the dollar store and Wal-Mart.

I loovveee White Chocolate Brownies from Moxies. So when I was baking goodies for the Christmas holidays, I got inspired and decided to remake my delectable favourite (using a recipe from Food.com as my basis) but with a twist.

​It was really simple to make and didn't take a lot of time, which is essential in this Christmas rush.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped white chocolate

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1 1/4 cups flour

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 x 8" pan.

Place white chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler and allow them to melt. Remove from heat and let cool.

Use a large bowl to beat eggs until foamed.

Slowly pour in sugar and vanilla, while mixing consistently.

Take white chocolate mixture and gradually add into egg mixture.

Combine flour and salt together. Carefully fold into wet mixture.

Add cranberries.

Pour batter into greased pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Check with toothpick and bake longer if necessary. Once toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I was pleasantly surprised by the cranberries. Normally this brownie is done with semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I changed it out to get a little festive. But the fusion of hot and cold with the addition of the ice cream, was truly the best part. Feel free to swap out the cranberries for other ingredients (i.e. toffee chips, chocolate bar pieces) to really make this recipe your own.

During the holiday season one of the simplest but memorable things to do with the children or even just on your time off; is to watch a feel good movie. Christmas time always has movies that just have a down right loving feeling behind them. They tend to evoke the need to want to spend time with family, bake cookies, and enjoy the company of others.

SbK will definitely be watching Christmas movies with our little ones. Check out our top 5 movies to watch during the holiday season.

#1 Home Alone

#2 A Christmas Story

My oldest daughter can't get enough of the Home Alone series. I don't think you can get tired of watching them at Christmas time.A Christmas Story is a all-time family favourite. A true classic.

#3 Elf

#4 The Polar Express

Elf's comedic take on the holiday is a movie sure to bring laughter into your home.

​You and your family can take a holiday ride on The Polar Express right in the comfort of your home.

#5 The Preachers Wife

The Preacher's Wife is one of my personal favourites. Not only is the late Whitney Houston's amazing voice throughout, it's just one of those feel good movies that has me loving my children and husband just a little more. LOL.

​We hope that everyone is making an extra effort to spend some quality time with loved ones and make some holiday memories at the same time.

The countdown is on and we are still shopping for our VIPs. If you are stuck on what to get that person in your life that is always on trend, here are some great ideas that you can find in a flash.

1. The "Embrace the Change " gift Year of YesThe most talked-about book of the season by television powerhouse Shonda Rhimes. Let this guide you to a life you've never imagined with one simple word. (Amazon, $32.99)

2. The "Say Goodbye to Bad Hair Days" gift Barrington Lamb Leather CapA fabulous leather paperboy cap to wear anywhere, with just about anything. And the chocolately hue will add a richness to the rich texture. (Danier, $39)

5. The "Tech the Halls" gift Google ChromecastWho won't want this in their lives? The new chromecast is a newer design, fun colours and streams from your favourite sites like Hulu and Netflix faster than ever. (Best Buy, $45)

6. The "Shoeholic's" giftRigoli BootieThis bootie is sexy and simply classic rolled in one. The peep-toe really caught our eye and will make the shoe a great complement to any outfit, day or night. (Aldo, $150)

7. and 9. The "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" gift I Love My Hair Coloring Book and Coloured PencilsCrayons and colouring books aren't just for kids anymore. They are fast becoming the go-to activity for anti-stress and relaxation. We didn't get it at first, but after giving it a try, we can see how it's peacefully addictive. So colouring someone's world with this gift may be more helpful than you know. (Chapters Indigo, $ 21 and $16)

8. The "Fabulous Fashionista" gift Embroidered-Mesh Shift DressThis beautiful dress needs to be in a closet near us soon! Beautiful embrodiery against the oxblood colour will make anyone a standout when wearing it. (Forever 21, $29.50)

10. The "Barista Lovin" gift Gold Zipper CupIf the person you are thinking of has a PhD in Starbuck linguistics, then this is definitely the present for them. A bold take on the tumbler, you are not only getting something yummy to drink, but a beautiful piece of art to look at. (Starbucks, $34.95)

I have to admit that for me the thing that is more stressful than shopping for the right Christmas presents, is having the kids home for a few weeks over the Christmas holidays. I am sure that our brood is no exception, but I am not anticipating the cries of "We're bored. There isn't anything fun to do!"

I've learned that the key to keeping kids happy is to keep them entertained. And no video-game marathons do not count. Get out there and have some fun with the kids while taking in what your city has to offer.

Here is a list of some awesome events in 6 majors cities in Canada and the U.S. that are easy on the pocketbook too!

With Christmas just 22 days away, this is the first year that I have decorated a tree with my children. I never really felt the need to spend a whole bunch of money for decorations that would only be up for less than a month. Being the thrifty mama that I am, a few months ago I saw someone advertise a free christmas tree on Varage Sale. It was located only a few blocks away and all I had to do was pick it up and put it in my car. Can we say WINNING?!

On my quest to decorate with flair yet stay well below my budget, I opted for my favourite bargain spot. You guessed it... Value Village! I found two packs of these perfect ornaments and had a 30% off coupon too increase my savings. Even at $1.99 these were a steal. Value Village has great Christmas decor items for a fraction of the price. I purchased these last set of ornaments to do a little something different to the outside of my house. #Boothang advised we wouldn't be putting up outside lights and I didn't want to go with the traditional wreath. I decided to hang the ornaments with some ribbon and let the beauty of my front door shine.

It took no time at all to make my front door adornment. This is a perfect DIY project for anyone, even the craft-challenged. I love my creation and think its adds an extra bit of festiveness to our home. Next on my list are the stockings for the kids and my boo. Hopefully, I can get some good finds.

I would love to see how you have decorated for the season. Leave a comment below or tag us in your pics on Instagram @stylesbyknight. Happy Holidays,TK